Merlin James
November 2024
Merlin
James
,
BSN, RN
Medical Surgical
Jefferson Health Abington
Abington
,
PA
United States
Merlin came into the room and sat on the bed with me, just letting me cry on her shoulder. I know that she had other critical patients and was extremely busy; however, she stayed with me in my room for at least 20 minutes while I cried.
I want to start off this story by saying that nurses notoriously make the worst patients. I was recently admitted to Abington Jefferson Hospital with viral meningitis. I was admitted to the east side of the Widner building for neuro overflow. While there, I had the pleasure of having Merlin as my primary nurse on the second day of my stay. At that point I developed an intense spinal headache related to a lumbar puncture that was performed the day prior. Merlin quickly relayed my symptoms to the doctor and attempted to get me fast pain relief as well as nausea medications.
Up until the worsening of my symptoms, I was set to go home that night; however, it became apparent that I was going to have to stay in the hospital for at least one more day. Upon realizing this, I felt desolate and defeated and started to cry while lying in the hospital bed, withering in pain. Merlin came into the room and sat on the bed with me, just letting me cry on her shoulder. I know that she had other critical patients and was extremely busy; however, she stayed with me in my room for at least 20 minutes while I cried. I explained to her that I had a 3-year-old at home and was hoping to be discharged since it seemed as if my symptoms were getting better. She just hugged me and listened to me and even, at some point, attempted to help my nausea with nonpharmacological techniques that she had learned from her country, India. She had me attempt to smell different scents, including the strands of my hair, to help with the nausea, and eventually, it did go away.
With the recent change to health care after the COVID pandemic and as a nurse myself, I am aware of how easy it is to become burnout and slowly lose your empathy, especially due to staffing shortages and increasing patient volumes. Merlin restored my faith in nursing and made me realize how important and dire our profession truly is. It's small moments such as this that remain with people, and truly change the outcome and experience of their care. Many people enter the field of nursing for a number of different reasons, but I hope Merlin is aware that she is exactly where she is meant to be and is a phenomenal, compassionate nurse.
Up until the worsening of my symptoms, I was set to go home that night; however, it became apparent that I was going to have to stay in the hospital for at least one more day. Upon realizing this, I felt desolate and defeated and started to cry while lying in the hospital bed, withering in pain. Merlin came into the room and sat on the bed with me, just letting me cry on her shoulder. I know that she had other critical patients and was extremely busy; however, she stayed with me in my room for at least 20 minutes while I cried. I explained to her that I had a 3-year-old at home and was hoping to be discharged since it seemed as if my symptoms were getting better. She just hugged me and listened to me and even, at some point, attempted to help my nausea with nonpharmacological techniques that she had learned from her country, India. She had me attempt to smell different scents, including the strands of my hair, to help with the nausea, and eventually, it did go away.
With the recent change to health care after the COVID pandemic and as a nurse myself, I am aware of how easy it is to become burnout and slowly lose your empathy, especially due to staffing shortages and increasing patient volumes. Merlin restored my faith in nursing and made me realize how important and dire our profession truly is. It's small moments such as this that remain with people, and truly change the outcome and experience of their care. Many people enter the field of nursing for a number of different reasons, but I hope Merlin is aware that she is exactly where she is meant to be and is a phenomenal, compassionate nurse.